Crib



Jan. 13, 1931. J. w. SHAW 1,788,960

cans

Filed Dec. 3, 192,6 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 s INVENTOR Jan. 13, 1931. J. w.SHAW 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CRIB Filed Dec. 3, 1926 INVENTOR 7 A ATTORNEYSPatented Jan. 13, 1931 j'JoHN w sslw, or noawoon, n JERSEY 7 vApplication filed December 3, 1926. Serial No. 152,319

Among the obj ects of the present invention are to provide an infantscrib of rugged con-v struction which is readily collapsible intoa j taryassembly with the collapsed crib without distortion or excessivecompression of-said 1 mattress, regardless of the construction orthickness of the latter. 7 v V Other objects are to provide a crib ofthe character mentioned which can be collapsed or distended with aminimum of effort, and without the need for any tools whatsoever, andwhich requires no removable rods, frames, or other parts that becomeseparated from thecompleted structure either in collapsing or distendingthe same, and whichin use has the appearance of the familiar modern criband involves no sacrifice of security or comfort as compared withconventional infants cribs. V i V p Another object is to provide aninfants crib, the drop side of which is easily manipu lated and avoidsthe use of small removable latch bars, rods, springs, or the like.

. To carry outthe foregoing objects, I pro vide a crib having a fixedside frame of usual to construction, a drop side frame and end frames,the latter of collapsible construction topermit the side framesto bemoved toward each other to a degreesuch as to afforda storage spacetherebetween in collapsed state for accommodating the mattress infiatiundistorted upstanding position. 1 To this end I V prefer toprovide a bed spring which will readily tilt upward about a hinge nearone of the sidevfra mes to permitthe collapse of the crib, and to leavefree the space in which the mattress is accommodated.

In a preferred construction, the end frames of the crib comprise each afixed section rigid with the fixed'side frame, andinturning or infoldingsegments connected between the edges of said fixed sections, and thedrop-side frame. Preferably the bed spring frame aids tomaintaindistended the info-lding segments in the operative state of the crib.

59 Latching means is preferably provided for of Fig. 1,

' the cribin completely collapsed state,

locking thc posts of the drop-side frame with respect to the fixed endsections in the col lapsedstateof the crib,- and in a preferredembodiment these latches alternatively'coact 7 ea ch .withiacorresponding infolding segmentof the "war-lame in the operative stateof the ribQf 'M 0 In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one ofvariouspossible embodiments of the severalfeaturcs of th'e inventionFig. 1 is a perspectiveview-of one embodiment" of the crib inoperativestate showing parts broken away,tobetter revealdetails of theconstruction, Fig.2'is a 'view' similar to Fig. 1 showing the crib withthe drop side lowered, V

Fig. 3 is'a fragmentary sectionaldetailed I View on a larger scale'takenon line 33 "Fig-{l is a perspective view similar to Fig. 7

1 showingthe crib in'process of being col- Fig. 5 is .aview similar toFig. {l1 showing- 1F ig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed View on a 7 largerscale indicating the construction of latching means for the spring,'and;

Fig. ,7. isfafragmentary detailed view on a larger scale indicating adetail of the spring construction. 1 r 7 I In the; accompanying drawings"1 have showna crib including a more or. less conventionalfixe'd sideframe 10, end wall frames 11 and 12,.a drop-side 'frame'13, a metalstripsupportor spring 14' and a mattress 15.. so In the embodimentshown, the. end frames cach'include'a fixed vertically extendingsection-16 anchored to the fixed side frainelO and end frames'each withtwo leaves or segments; Hand :18 ofequal width havingansointermediatejhinge .19 to permit infolding movement .The segment .l7vlishinged at 20' to the fixed section 16 and the segment 18 at itsfr'eeedge. at 21 to thejpostj22 of the drop side, frame. 7 The twoend framesbeing identicahthe same reference characters "are employed atcorresponding elements thereof.-

In the. preferred embodiment the bed spring frame is hingedso asto tiltout of the way to permit a collapsingmovement of the i crib.- lhe springis shown in two sections, a wider tilting section 14 attached to anarrower fixed section 14 by screws extending through elongated slots 26and serving as hinge pins for the tilting section. A coil spring 27 isanchored to the frame 28 of the;

fixed spring section at oneend, and to the frame'29 of'the hingedspringsection the other end, said spring thereby tending to tilt upwardthe hinged part 14 of the spring to permit collapse of the crib.

The mattress support or spring, as shown,

comprises longtitudinal strips or ribbons of;

metal, supported by coil springs anchored at the spring frame ends. i

The end parts of the frame 29 ofthe hinged spring portion exert outwardpressure when in lowermost position, against the extended infoldingsegments 17 -18 ofthe end frames and thereby aid in maintaining thelatter in distended position; For this purpose, there is preferablydisposedat the lower end. of the median part of each of the end frames,a

I ments outward.

' of the anglebar.

metal camming lug '31 secured near the median hinge of theinfoldingsegments at leaf 18 thereof, and having an outstanding curvedtion 29 of the bed spring frame rests in operative position in an anglebar 34 connected at opposite ends to the posts 22 of the drop-side framea little below thelevel of the rail-10. By this arrangement thespring 27is dis tended when the framef29is' snapped into angle bar 34, and thecontraction thereof upon mere release of the spring from bar 34 causesautomatic upward tilting of the spring 14: r i I Any suitable latch maybe provided at the angle bar 34 to lock the bed spring in operativeposition. I have illustratively shown a latch comprising'a horizontalslidable latch bar 37 secured by studs 38, each to ride in alongitudinal slot 39 through the horizontal web 34 of the angle bar,said latch having preferably a flange 40 riding along the'edge Anupstanding spring latch tongue. ll on the latch'ibar extends through acorresponding slot42 in the angle j bar and in loeked position of thebedspring through a similar slot 43 in the lateral frame bar 29 ofthe'ibed spring. The latch bar has a 'downturned 'finger piece 44 bywhich it may be pushed tooperaltive or locking position after.thespringi has been depressed when the latch tongue will overlie the'frame of the bed spring.

In order to collapse'the er1b the finger piece .44: is simplywithdrawnuntil the tongue 41 is arrested by its shoulder 45 and the bedsectionfli of the spring. Thereupon the hinged end "sections fold inwardto the position shown in Fig. 5 and the bed is collapsed.

, Lockin or latching means may also be provided to 'seciire the crib incollapsed state. an illustrative embodiment shown, each of the cornerposts 22 of the drop side frame carries a metallic latch bar which maybe a lever 46 hinged to the corner post by a cross pin 47 therethrough.The latch level has a relatively short outer finger. operating end 48 atone'end and the longer l'atcharm46 at its inner end. In thecollapsedstate: of the crib, as shownin Fig. 5, the latch bars'aredepressed, so that the latching tongues 50v at the free extremitythereof extend into corresponding latching slots 51 in the'fixedsections 16 of the end frames, thereby retaining the crib securelylocked in collapsed state.

In extended condition, as'best shown in Figs. 1: and 2, the latcharins46 similarly coact with latching slots 52 in the contiguousinfolding'end frame segment 18. A groove 53 of the thickness oft-helatching arm. 46 is preferably provided in the upper edge of the endframe segment to accommodate the width of said arm so that the samein'la-tched condition comes flush with the upper edge of the crib; v

To better reveal the-details of the construction I have shown a cribwith relatively thick posts, rails, and struts. at will be understoodthat the invention is adapted and preferably employed in constructionsembodying parts of metal, considerably thinner than those shownandtl1e1'eby afi'ording in collapsed state an even more'compactstructure than that shown. The term side fra ne-and fend frame isinclusive of panel constructions such as are employed in in fants cribs,which panels may readily be employed to advantage in my construction.

'lhefixed end frame sections 16 preferably determine awidth no greaterthan the thickest mattress employed with a.crib, iso'th at in collapsedstate of the crib, the mattress would be laterally contacted byt-he'fixed side frame 10 at one face and'by the tilting spring area l tat the other, its lower edge resting upon the narrow fixedspringsection] 14 Thus, the crib in collapsed state'together with the mattressand the'inetal strip support therefor-can be handled as'a single unit,.and

to this end themattress need not be of any special limber or thinconstruction and does not'suffer any distortion or twisting inpositioning the-same in the eollapsedcrib.

:Ihe collapsed crib, it willbeseen, is a stable construction, standingon its four posts, taking up littleroom, andis very convenient tohandle. The mattress is well protected in elevated position away fromthe floor or wall, so that it will not becomeinjured or soiled.

I have also shown a special construction of drop side for the crib,which is of more general application to infants cribs, whether ofcollapsing or non-collapsing type. Ihave particularly shown a drop sideconstruction, which provides no detachable latches, rods, screws, orsprings, but is a simple unitary construction.

In the embodiment illustratively shown, the ends of the drop sides arelateral metal strips 60' bent at their ends over the upper and lowerrails of the drop side to which they are secured by screws 62. Each ofthe metal strips 60 has a pair of runner studs 64 respectively near theupper end and near the lower end thereof. The runnerstuds ride incorresponding runways which may be runner slots 65 preferably extendinglongitudinally of metal guide rails 66 secured to the drop side posts22. Each of these guide rails, as shown, constitutes one of theweb's ofa metal angle bar theother web of which is secured as by screws 68 tothe end posts. A tongue 69 at the end of web 67 may be turned over thetop of the corner post for greater security and protection. The web 67of each angle bar runner rail is secured to the corner post as bestshown in Fig. 3 to afiord a space 70 between the runner rail and thecontiguous surface of the corner post wherein ride the runner studs 64of the drop side. The heads of the runner studs being wider than'therunner slot 65, it will beunderstood that preferably the lateral strip60 of the drop side and the runner rail 66 are preassembled by means ofthe runner studs 64, the shank of whichis preferably upset at 71 uponthe lateral strip.

The upper end of each runner slot is reyersely bent or hook-shaped at 72from which it will be apparent that when the drop side is raised to itsupper limit and then pushed inward, the upper runner studs 64 will lockor hang the drop side in upper or closed position, from said upper end.Preferably the.

lower ends of the runner slots 65 terminate slightly above'the floor, sothat the lower of the studs 64 will'rest thereaga-inst for sustainingthe drop side in lower position. In order to lower the drop side fromclosed position, it will be understood that the same is first raised toits limit and drawn outward, so as to cause the runner studs 64 to clearthe or in the store room of a hotelas well as in transportation, andWhich maintains the mattress in protected, clean and invitingcondilapsed in the daytime and to distend it only atsuch timeswhen it isactually-to be used.

I claim:

A collapsible crib including side frames and an end frame, each of theend frames including a stationary sect-ion rigidly connected to one ofthe side frames and a plurality of inwardly hinging sections connectingsaid stationary section to the other side frame, a spring constitutingthebottom of'the crib and including a pair of hinged sections, thenarrower of which is approximately equal in width to the thickness ofthe mattress and of slightly less width than the stationary end framesect-ions, thewider section of the spring being foldable upwardlyintofvertical position and when in such' position cooperating with theother springsection, the stationary end sections and one side wallsection to de fine an open topped elongated narrow boxlike structure forsupporting the mattresson edge, the spring side of such structure beingout of the path of inward folding movement of the hinged end framesections whereby the latter maybe folded inwardly into-substair' tialparallelism with the upwardly swung spring section, latches carried bythe other Y side section of the crib, keeper means for the latches oncertain of the hinged end frame sections, said latches being operativeto hold the end frame sections against inward swinglapsed position withthe latches engaging said last mentioned keepers.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State'of New York,this 22nd" day of November, A. -D. 1926.

JOHN w. SHAW.

reversely turned end 72 to the runner slot 65,

whereupon the drop side can be eased downward.

Thus I have provided an infants crib, which in collapsed state affordsconsiderable l space economy while stored in the warehouse,

